Photo/Illutration A wind power generator and solar panels are seen along the coast in Minami-Soma, Fukushima Prefecture. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Japan's latest revised law to promote global warming countermeasures, enacted on May 26, spells out the government's target of achieving net zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga pledged in April to reduce Japan's carbon emissions by 46 percent by fiscal 2030. It is now time to accelerate various initiatives that will not only enable Suga to deliver on his commitment, but also aim for an even more ambitious goal.

The revised law advocates, as its fundamental philosophy, upholding the Paris Agreement that seeks to limit temperature increases to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The significance of codifying this numerical target is by no means small.

Nearly 400 local administrative entities in Japan have announced their commitment to going carbon neutral by 2050, and corporations striving to go carbon free are also on the increase.

We hope the central and local governments and businesses will take this as a cue for working even harder to advance policies and undertakings that will help curb global warming.

The Environment Ministry estimates that Japan's maximum potential renewable energy output is double the current total annual power supply, even when cost-effectiveness is taken into consideration.

To take full advantage of this fact, all prefectural governments and municipalities that are designated as major cities and "chukaku-shi" (regional hub cities) are now required to set targets for the introduction of renewables, while smaller municipalities and villages are urged to designate "promotional regions" for their renewable energy projects.

Renewable energy facilities are not necessarily welcomed in all communities. There are, in fact, ongoing disputes over solar and wind power generation projects.

The purpose of setting up promotional regions is to encourage the introduction of new projects through dialogue between the local governments and residents to prevent problems and stimulate the regional economy.

This system of regional self-sufficiency in electricity should prove helpful in times of natural disasters. It simplifies administrative procedures for power suppliers, and also provides them the benefit of being able to avert problems, so they can better project their business possibilities.

The implementation of this system must be preceded by careful consensus-building with local citizens, along with thorough studies on the system's impact on the environment, scenic aesthetics and the ecosystem, as well as carefully considered measures to be taken in the event of accidents and natural disasters.

And the central government needs to provide support to local governments that lack sufficient staffers in charge of global warming countermeasures.

Reports of carbon emission volumes, submitted to the government by business operators, used to be disclosed to the public upon request. But under the new revised law, filing a request is no longer necessary.

As well, the waiting time for disclosure has been reduced from two years to less than one year.

This greater procedural transparency with respect to emission reductions requires businesses to further step up their efforts.

In and outside Japan, competition is heating up in the development of new technologies for renewable power generation and energy storage.

Each company's attitude to environmental issues is now a determining factor for potential investors and customers.

Instead of thinking of this as a headwind, companies should see it as a chance to enhance their reliability and international competitiveness, and willingly disclose information.

Attaining net-zero emissions will not be easy. But the government must draw a clear road map by firmly committing to increased use of renewables in its basic energy plan, which is currently being compiled. 

--The Asahi Shimbun, May 31

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